


A Love of 29

by MeikoAtsushi



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: 29 year olds in love, Adds to the mess, Confusion, Fluff and Angst, Kitten's name is Shirabu, Kittens, Kuroo is a vet, M/M, Misunderstandings, Neighbors, TenSemi friendship, Ushijima is a sweet idiot, injuries, sudden kisses
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-23
Updated: 2018-06-23
Packaged: 2019-05-27 12:06:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15024263
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MeikoAtsushi/pseuds/MeikoAtsushi
Summary: “But you guys just said goodbye after that? No serious talk? No clarifications?”“Nope.”Semi moaned, exasperated. “You got to be fucking kidding me. You guys kissed, he swore to you like a fucking proposal, and after 11 years you guys rescued a kitten and bought Shounen Jump and then just ‘farewell’?”“Basically!”“Satori.”Or: After 11 years of Ushijima kissing him out of nowhere, maybe Tendou will finally get an answer.





	A Love of 29

**Author's Note:**

> I love UshiTen SO MUCH. Hence why this fic came to life. It's so unedited, that it's painful. I hope you enjoy!

_“I’m going to quit volleyball after high school. I’ll watch all the big events you’re in on television, and I’ll be saying, “I was Ushijima’s true friend”, so don’t you dare go slacking on me.”_

_“Ah.”_

* * *

 

Tendou Satori, age 29, his schedule consistent for the past 10 years.

 

He wakes up at 6 to ride the 6:45 bullet train to his workplace. It takes another 15 minutes to get to the correct building and floor, if an acquaintance doesn’t stop him for a conversation. The office gets busy around 7:30, and the rush continues without much excitement until 5. He then returns home, after buying a bucket of chocolate ice cream and a ham sandwich from Family Mart.

 

The most awaited portion of the day starts right at that moment.

 

As fast as his dwindling legs allow him, he grabs the TV remote and switches through the numerous channels. Finally –

 

**_“-ood evening, everyone! This is Sports Japan. Today we’ll be updating you on the most recent news regarding a few famous athletes in various fields, as well as…”_ **

****

Queasy, Tendou scoops five spoonfuls of ice cream and slumps down on the fur mat.

 

**_“Volleyball, Japan’s proud star setters, Kageyama Tobio and Oikawa Tooru!”_ **

****

His shoulders deflate at the names, but he’s still pretty hyped anyway. He knows Oikawa fairly well, as they always played against each other during the prefectural finals in high school (except their senior year with Karasuno). It’s actually quite refreshing to hear that Oikawa is still active as a professional – they’re nearing 30, after all.

 

**_“… To Oikawa Tooru-san! How would you grade your performance as an athlete?”_ **

****

**_“Well…”_ ** _Oikawa still looks hot, goddamn. **“I still have areas where I can definitely improve. But I’m considering my retirement soon – and I have something I want to do. Although that part is top secret!”**_

****

That perks Tendou’s interest, but not for long.

 

**_“My greatest regret? Not being able to defeat Wakatoshi-kun, I suppose. We ended up playing for the same team when we began playing professionally after all. I have mixed feelings when I toss for him, but we’re on agreeable terms.”_ **

****

Tendou laughs at _that._ He clearly recalls how Ushijima used to greet Oikawa with a genuine “You should’ve come to Shiratorizawa”, that it even sickened the regulars of the actual team. In the end, although expected, Oikawa never transferred to Shiratorizawa, and received a scouting request from a university in Tokyo – and separated with the rest of his colleagues. Tendou, who never planned to continue his volleyball career, was accepted into an average, quite mediocre university in Miyagi and studied graphic design, primarily for advertisements.

 

The concurrent job he holds doesn’t provide him an extravagant lifestyle he hoped for, but Satori is somewhat satisfied. When you approach a certain age, he presumed, you notice significant changes in your desires.

 

_Desire._

As he munches away at the ham sandwich, he reminisces his senior year of high school and his connection with Ushijima Wakatoshi.

 

Shiratorizawa, especially in Tendou’s graduating class, was already lined with unique, quite erratic individuals. From the coach to members, the volleyball club was intriguing, and as long as ‘he earned points’, he could remain as a regular. Amongst such attractive elements, however, one particularly delicious charm grabbed Tendou Satori’s attention: Ushijima Wakatoshi.

 

At that moment, Tendou felt _desire._ The absolute _need_ to dissect this man, to befriend him, and to tear him apart. Well, not so violently in actuality, but something around those lines.

 

He isn’t entirely sure when that desire transformed into an entirely disparate sensation.

 

“The ol’ days, the ol’ days.” He hums, and returns to his ice cream. Now, after approximately 11 years, the sensation has been deliberated by time and dulled with acquired knowledge. Tendou had been in a few relationships – one with a guy, three with girls – and none had continued for more than a year. The longest one, with the guy (surprisingly), lasted 11 and half months, and that was probably because he left a similar first impression as Ushijima.

 

 _A relationship, eh…_ He picks up the remote again and goes to a different channel, which has a famous Korean rom-com drama playing. The female protagonist and male protagonist are fighting (flirting) about what beverage suits kimchi best. _Young, young._

“Ah, it’s Wednesday isn’t it…” He clucks his tongue in remembrance; Wednesdays are when he’s supposed to throw the trash out. _I’ll pick up some extra chocolate ice cream on the way back, the new Jump magazine, and… right, eggs. Can’t forget them again._ Pulling on some sweatpants and a matching jacket, he skips out of the house with the black trash bag, locking the door behind him.

 

He can’t help but dumbly smile at the thought of rolling around on the couch while stuffing his mouth with gooey chocolate ice cream, flipping through the newest volume of Shounen Jump. His favorite series ended just last week, so he’s eager to find a new one to fanboy over. That’s one the things that didn’t change, even after all these years.

 

“ _Mm, hm~!”_ Tossing the bag into the pile, he twirls on the tip of his sandals and giggles. Today’s a great day – Oikawa was on television (someone he at least knew a good deal) and Wakatoshi’s name was mentioned. For some queer reason, his age didn’t seem to mature his personality. “Ice cream, ice cream, we all scream for ice cream!” The auto doors to the convenience store opened, and Tendou practically leaps in. He jogs to the dairy section, vivaciously brightens at the sight of the wondrous chocolate ice cream- oops, and _eggs_ , of course, he totally didn’t forget.

 

The usual cashier snorts at him – his name is Konoha Akinori, who works part-time at the store, with his actual job being an average salesman. They got along pretty well – apparently Konoha used to know an equally hyperactive individual during high school.

 

“Excited, Tendou-san?”

 

“It’s ice cream, Konoha-kun! Who wouldn’t be?” Tendou states it matter-of-factly, and Konoha just wears a bemused grin as he hands him the plastic bag.

 

“Enjoy the rest of your night.”

 

“You too, Konoha-kun – make sure you get some sleep!”

 

A muffled response is heard as the doors close, and Tendou whispers the lyrics to a random anime opening he watched just the other day.

 

 _It’s an oddly great day, don’t you think, Satori?_ He queries, _so great, that a miracle might happen- Miracle Boy, Wa-ka-to-shi-!_

“ _MEOW!”_

“Meow!” Tendou blurts out in response to the sudden noise. _Meow?_ The cute cry had come from the corner that he just passed. Out of pure curiosity (and he liked cats), he pokes his head into the dark alleyway. “Whoa there,” His leg collides into a ginger kitten that was trying to dash out towards the sidewalk. “You alright?” Holding the feline up, Tendou crinkles a beam. The kitten scowls.

 

“Hm.”

 

A much lower, grunt sort of sound echoes through the darkness. Tendou, the kitten still secure in his arms, glances at the shadowy figure that is slouched on the ground.

 

“Hey, you alive there? Do I need to call the police that a person was murdered by a kitten?” Half-joking, half-concerned, Tendou moves closer to the man. He’s quite big, now that he’s standing in front. Broad shoulders, olive-green hair, large hands and long legs…

 

 _That seems…_ The kitten meows and scratches at his shirt, … _familiar._

“I’m fine.” The man dusts his clothes and rises. Tendou’s mouth goes arid in an instant. Somehow, he still manages to keep the kitten in his embrace. “Is the creature alright?”

 

 _The creature._ Tendou can’t help but note the nostalgic awkwardness of his word choice. It all feels to surreal. Too good to be true.

 

The man finally stares into Tendou’s eyes. Their height doesn’t differ much, but their stature is definitely comparable, now that they’re both standing. His green eyes look almost turquoise with the dim, city moonlight – but Tendou _knows_ they’re green.

 

“… Tendou?”

 

_Meow._

They remain in silence, with both parties still conflicted. Tendou has dreamt, of course, of such an occurrence. He never expected it to become reality though – he was _not_ prepared for this, especially since their last encounter and exchange on graduation day.

 

( _“I’ll come back for you Satori. I promise.”)_

“Uh,” His voice cracks, “Wakatoshi-kun.” _What else?_

Ushijima, without even batting an eyelash, steals a glimpse at the translucent plastic bag, and starts, “It’s not healthy to consume ice cream during this hour, Tendou.”

 

“Okay, _that’s_ the first thing you say?”

 

“It’s true, though.” The broader man blinks, “You always had a habit of eating ordinarily nutrient-deficient foods during the most inconvenient times.”

 

He’s so sincere, that it’s conversely hilarious.

 

“I can’t believe I almost forgot you’re naturally serious that way.” Tendou snickers, the kitten mewling at him furiously as his grip tightened around it. “Normally, you’d ask something like ‘how were you’, you know?”

 

“I’m well.” Impassive, Ushijima gave a nod. “You?”

 

“That wasn’t my question, but I’m fine too.” A skeptical part of him still whispers that this cannot be true. But Tendou has always been intuitive than logical, and Ushijima was here, talking to him. It’s like they’re back in high school again, but somewhat not. “What were you doing?”

 

Ushijima turns off his black bluetooth earphones as he replies, “Jogging.” Beads of cooled sweat dripped from his forehead, and Tendou vaguely remembers that the former is still an athlete, and he isn’t. “It was flailing on top of the trash bin, so I tried to put it back down on the ground.”

 

 _Ah,_ Tendou smiles at the kitten that had calmed in his arms. _How gentle, compared to his appearance._ “I guess I’ll take it to the vet just in case. I don’t know if any are open during this hour, though.” Stroking the head of the animal, Satori snickered as it purred. “Wanna come along? You found it, after all.” He isn’t entirely certain why he suggests the idea; this whole encounter in its character itself was already queer, from the conversation to their behavior – it’s as if they both were ignoring what happened that day – but Ushijima nods.

 

They both exchange basic questions and responses, about their jobs, what they were doing nowadays, amongst other needless phrases. Luckily, they were able to discover one vet that was just about to close, and managed to get the kitten checked up – Ushijima and Tendou split the cost, and Ushijima decided to keep it, as the kitten took a specific liking to him.

 

“What are you going to name it?”

 

“… Ginger, maybe.”

 

“ _Whaaatttt?_ God save your naming sense, Wakatoshi-kun!” Tendou shrieks, and Wakatoshi mumbles ‘but oranges are oranges because they’re orange’; Tendou ignores that. He scrutinizes the little thing that was comfortably nestled in Ushiwaka’s enormous hands. “He kind of reminds you of Shirabu, don’t you think?” Ushijima’s orbs twinkle at that, and he held up the kitten in a very Lion King-ish fashion. Tendou really wants to laugh.

 

“He looks similar.” The ace admits, the image of his high school setter still crystal clear in his mind.

 

“Then it’s Shirabu, then!”

 

“It’s a she, though.”

 

“That’s fine, Shirabu’s plenty prettier than a girl.”

 

Ushijima seemed uncertain whether this was about the kitten or the person, but he decided not to think much about it.

 

“Oh right,” Tendou pauses just before they completely stroll past another store. “I need to buy the newest volume of Shounen Jump!” He expects to part ways with Ushijima there – he doesn’t even know why they were still together in the first place.

 

But Ushijima trails close behind him, as he says, “Ah, so do I.”

 

“Huh?” _HUH?_ Tendou gapes as his friend goes ahead, approaching the manga without any hesitation whatsoever. He casually removes two volumes of the thick Shounen Jump and heads to the cashier, as Tendou persisted to gape. “Wakatoshi-kun, you read _Shounen Jump?_ And wait- I can pay for my own –“ He rummages through his pockets and hurriedly slams down a few crinkled bills on the counter.

 

But Ushijima just gives him this accusatory stare, as if _Tendou_ was the one sputtering nonsense. “You read them, after all,” Is how ‘I’m-Japan’s-Ace-and-I-read-teen-magazines’ retorts.

 

“What does that have to do with anything?” Shirabu mewls in slight frustration as they’re back out in the hot, stuffy air.

 

“… That it’s you, of course.” Tendou and Ushijima always had a paranoid dynamic when it came to their conversations, but this one transcended all their previous ones. Or maybe, Tendou just lost his sense – he couldn’t determine. But Ushijima is so _firm_ in all his answers, that Tendou is convinced he’s the one in the wrong somehow.

 

He drops the topic, and Ushijima doesn’t continue the argument either. Tendou’s just heading back home, but Ushijima follows, for some odd cause.

 

Then, they both stop.

 

“Wakatoshi-kun, you live _there_?”

 

Across Tendou’s pipsqueak apartment, there is an extravagant mansion-like house, constructed in traditional Japanese style. As Tendou glimpsed into its ornate garden decorated with flower bushes and expensive bonsai, the ordinary salaryman couldn’t resist an envious click of the tongue.

 

Who would’ve imagined that it was _the_ Ushijima Wakatoshi’s home?

 

“I do.” As if nothing could be more obvious, Ushijima answers tersely. He’s especially circumspect when opening the gate’s door lock, as Shirabu is fast asleep in his arms. Amidst his shock, Tendou thinks it’s really adorable.

 

“Well, I live here, so I’ll come over to see Shirabu-chan.” He’s joking, of course – Ushijima must be fully occupied with his athletic schedule, and Tendou had his work to accomplish as well.

 

But Ushijima never fails to delight him.

 

“Sure.”

 

* * *

 

“He WHAT?”

“I know, it’s some news.” Tendou mused, as Semi gawked at him. Semi was a physical therapist at the town’s hospital next to Tendou’s company – they often ate lunch together during their overlapping break time. “I always assumed he lived somewhere far, in Tokyo.”

 

“Okay,” Semi was evidently struggling at this sudden necessity for information digestion. “Okay. So you guys met at some dark alleyway, did stuff, and now he lives next door.”

 

“You’re making this sound awfully inappropriate, Semisemi.”

 

“I’m just telling it as is.” Snorted the other, “Besides, you guys named a kitten after my _boyfriend._ Please consider my enlarged confusion when you relayed the tale to me – ‘ _I heard Shirabu meow.’_ ”

 

Tendou sniggered. Semi and Shirabu had started dating just before Semi graduated – Semi strongly refused to share details, but according to Kawanishi that was at the scene, it involved a lot of tears and snot and cheesy lines, mainly from Shirabu. They were happily together for over ten years now, with Semi actually having a decent occupation (Shirabu’s biggest concern), and Shirabu a successful novelist.

 

“But you guys just said goodbye after that? No serious talk? No _clarifications?_ ”

 

“Nope.”

 

Semi moaned, exasperated. “You got to be fucking _kidding_ me. You guys _kissed,_ he _swore_ to you like a fucking proposal, and after _11 years_ you guys rescued a kitten and bought Shounen Jump and then just ‘ _farewell’_?”

 

“Basically!”

 

“ _Satori._ ”

 

He acknowledge the point that it was rather preposterous – if they separated in some regular, practical manner in high school, then it would’ve been fine. But naturally, that wasn’t the case.

 

Crumpling the wrapper of his protein bar, Tendou tossed it into the trash can a few meters away. “I was just going with the flow, Eita. It wasn’t _that_ extraordinary when I was actually there.” He wasn’t lying; Wakatoshi had this nullifying ability – his presence, his voice, his words were so resolved with minimal space for rebuttal, that _everything_ seemed totally normal around him, no matter how _abnormal_. It was one of the reasons why they got along so well.

 

“This isn’t Daoism, Tendou, you don’t just _go with the flow._ You ought to officially ask him on what he exactly meant that day, what was that fucking kiss for – _not_ whether ‘Ginger’ or ‘Shirabu’ is a better name for a kitten.”

 

“Are you _denying_ that Shirabu is an amazing name?”

 

“That’s not my point, you blockhead.” Semi slapped him on the back and then added, “Of course Shirabu’s a great name.”

 

“Isn’t Shirabu going to be a Semi as well, if you guys marry though?”

 

“That’s still a work in progress, but that’d be nice- _don’t stray from the topic, bitch!_ ” The silver-haired male hollered, his onigiri almost hurled towards the ceiling of the restaurant. The waiter shot a warning glare from the table next to them, and Semi drooped backward on his chair. “I give up on you two. I can’t believe I still need to deal with this when I’m _29._ ”

 

Tendou scoffed, but he was grateful for all that Semi did for him. Through his high school crush on Ushijima to now, he was the only one that stayed around to listen to Tendou’s antics. Of course, Shirabu loitered about every now and then, but he eventually got sick and tired of the identical pattern and relinquished.

 

“I’ll try to kick off a conversation when I snatch the opportunity.” Satori assured, “Thanks for worrying.”

 

“Of course I’d be worried, you idiot.” Semi opened his mouth to say more, but snapped his jaw. “… We have history between us.”

 

“Yuck, Eita’s corny.”

 

“On second thought, I’ll kill you.”

 

* * *

 

 

_Curiosity killed the cat, an intelligent someone proclaimed._

_Tendou would say that ‘kill’ is a stretch; however, he was definitely stumped._

_His inquisitive nature had always been unstoppable. He never had problems with it personally though, no matter what people around him gossiped. When he first taped his attention to Ushijima’s stoicism, it was like a special biology experiment – a frog dissection, for example. To Satori, figuring out a person was just that – you first cut them up, organize the body parts, label and analyze them, and finally piece the process together._

_To dissect Ushijima Wakatoshi, was more than gratifying._

_In a negative sense, it was almost **terrifying**_.

 

_Of course, each human had his or her quirks and characteristics. Most fell into common categories, but there were outstanding individuals as well, such as Oikawa, Karasuno’s legendary duo, so on and so forth. The critical point, however, was not about Tendou, but how others viewed him._

_To others, Tendou was beyond absurd and incomprehensible._

_He was a monster, or something._

_Tendou never received the alias with particular offense, but he’d never gotten a different reaction – everyone considered him as ‘off’, ‘ominous’, ‘inane’, etc._

 

_But Ushijima was fundamentally unlike ‘everyone’._

_No matter how hard he tried to bewilder Ushijima, his attempts only backfired. Ushijima was never taken aback; he assimilated Tendou’s persona, and accepted it as is._

_To Tendou, that was… new._

_New, and terrifying._

_It wasn’t too long until his curiosity morphed into a relatively similar yet very disparate desire. Volleyball, that used to be a minor sport that he was invested in, became his paradise._

_It was paradise – not exactly because he enjoyed playing, but because Ushijima was there._

_His volleyball that was originally centralized around himself eventually integrated Shiratorizawa’s ace into the picture. Without Ushijima, his volleyball wasn’t complete._

_He never expected the wing spiker to return his feelings. Their conversations were primarily one-sided, with Tendou rambling about Shounen Jump 80 percent of the time. The most in-depth exchange they had was when the stoic boy inquired seriously, ‘Why are this guy’s clothes not burning when his body is on fire’._

_So technically, Tendou was perfectly justified for experiencing an existential crisis when Ushijima kissed him out of nowhere on graduation day._

_After the graduation ceremony, Tendou with his high school diploma, he stood tall in the gymnasium, reminiscing the effort he placed into the sport. Amidst his memories, Ushijima entered, and stopped as he met eyes with Tendou._

_“Tendou.” His low voice plucked at the middle blocker’s mental strings. “You’re here.”_

_“You’re mighty right that I am, Wakatoshi-kun.” Shot back Tendou playfully, “It’s a little fantastical, to be honest. Like a fiction.”_

_Ushijima hummed, and they remained in cozy silence for a number of minutes. Tendou was the one who broke the thin sheet. “I meant it, by the way – that I’d watch all your events. I’ll watch them with such vigor, that the reporters are going to hear about this crazed Ushiwaka fanatic, and that’s when I’ll prove to the world that I’m your best friend! Oh, but don’t deny that in a separate interview or something; I’ll be hurt.”_

_“I might deny it, once I can fully distinguish the difference.”_ The difference? _Tendou was admittedly lost – but all that mattered was the possibility of actual rejection._

_“Come on, I want to be recognized as the best friend of the Strongest Man in Japan!” It was childish and silly, petulant, even. But Tendou was quite desperate to leave a mark on Ushijima, as the latter did to him._

_“Best friends,” He reiterated with that baritone voice, “I suppose that works for now.”_

_With lingering discomfort but overall satisfaction, Tendou sniffed the air. “You wound me, Wakatoshi-kun.”_

_“Hey.”_

_“Hm?” Tendou twisted his head, and the next second was a blur. His lips that were chilled from the spring breeze were now matched with fierce warmth, his lonesome shoulders held gently with rough hands, and soft olive-green locks tickled his forehead._

_This is a dream, Tendou emptily thought, as he froze there, in that position, even as the damp warmth detached from his lips._

_“I’ll come back for you, Satori.” The alluring voice was dangerously close to his ear, hot breath against his cheek and skin – “I promise.”_

_There was no hesitation, no fear, no doubt._

_With that, Ushijima Wakatoshi was gone from his paradise._

* * *

 

On his way back home on Friday, he bumped into Ushijima again.

 

“Jogging?” Tendou tilted his head to the right, and the sweaty man gave a curt nod. “So diligent, Wakatoshi-kun. You’re almost 30, too.”

 

“It’s average.” _You have one hell of a high standard for average,_ Tendou muttered inwardly, as Ushijima bought a bottle of water from the stray vending machine. “I’m going to retire soon, anyway.”

 

“That’s what Oikawa-kun said on television just the other day, too. He mentioned that he had something he wanted to do?” Recalling the interview, Tendou wondered if retirement was an ongoing trend for athletes their age now.

 

“Ah,” Ushijima wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, “He said he wanted to set up a dog café in Miyagi with Iwaizumi.”

 

Tendou choked, “ _Huh_?”

 

“Iwaizumi was against the idea quite vehemently, but he must’ve given in.” Taking a final gulp before emptying the bottle, the spiker didn’t sound as astounded. “I like cats so I told him otherwise, but he was very stubborn.”

 

“Is _that_ where you interfere?” Throwing his head back, he cackled, as Ushijima threw away the bottle. “And you’re totally biased because you like Shirabu now, don’t you?”

 

With a fond smile, the other answered, “Perhaps.”

 

“Want to get something for dinner?” Tendou offered, just like he would invite Wakatoshi for an ice cream after practice. Wakatoshi always tagged along without a single word. His favorite flavor was pistachio, topped with chocolate chips. “I was about to go for curry.”

 

“Curry’s fine.” After tidily rolling up his soaked towel, Ushijima zipped up his sports bag.

 

They didn’t waste a second and briskly marched over to the curry place, which was located only a few blocks away from where they lived. Tendou ordered the original curry rice, which Ushijima went straight for the special menu, hayashi rice.

 

“How’s Shirabu-chan?” Pouring himself a glass of iced coke, Tendou casually upstarted their chat.

 

“She’s doing well. Fairly energetic, too.”

 

“Really? That’s great! Did you get her toys yet?”

 

“She likes my sweater.”

 

“That’s not a toy, but whatever floats her boat.” Tendou cooed at the mental image of the petite kitten curled up in that gigantic sweater. “Speaking of which, Semi was quite puzzled when I told him about her.”

 

Ushijima jerked up a little at the mention of an old teammate. “Semi, huh.”

 

“He’s _so_ into Shirabu and they’re so sweet together, it makes me gag,” Tendou scrunched his nose hideously, as Ushijima relaxed. “It’s like they’re in a shoujo manga, you know? I see _flowers_ when they’re together.”

 

“That’s…” Wakatoshi seemed confused on how to respond. “Worrisome.”

 

“It really is – what if they drown in their own glucose-concentrated love?” The waitress passed them a _truly_ worrisome glance as she overheard their concentration, sliding their platters towards them. Ushijima quietly wolfed down the food, and Tendou joined in.

 

Their meal was over after a fairly nonverbal 15 minutes, as they each paid for their dinner and departed. Semi’s admonishing growl resounded over Tendou’s mind, while he stretched his legs outside.

 

 _Eita’s probably right,_ there was hardly a time where Semi was ever _not right,_ to be honest – “Hey, Wakatoshi-kun?”

 

Ushijima’s face glimmered in light orange under the city sunset. A few streaks of dry sweat that hadn’t been properly cleansed marked thin outlines on his otherwise smooth skin and his sharp jawline seemed much refined under the illuminating light source. Tendou sensed an invisible lump in his throat, as blood pounded madly in his chest, painfully reminding him that even after all these years, his heart still longed for its paradise.

 

Said ‘paradise’ simply faced towards him, his orbs reflecting interest.

 

 _11 years,_ Tendou breathlessly muttered to himself, _11 years, and it’s still insufficient._

“Tendou?” Ushijima extended his hand and grasped Satori’s arm. “Are you feeling unwell?” To others, his inquiry would’ve come off much more as a demanding order of sorts than a question. But to Tendou, he could hear the slightest inflection on that last syllable to the most minimal vibration of his usually tight, monotonic voice.

 

It made his heart dance, and that was not good.

 

“I…” He croaked, and Tendou recomposed his vocal chords. “I’m great, thanks. I just forgot my question.”

 

“Was it important?” The tension in his shoulders vanished, as Ushijima released his grip from his companion’s arm.

 

 _It was,_ Tendou privately returned, “Nah, if I forgot then it shouldn’t be! I’ll ask you sometime later if it was, though.” _Stop acting like a high school girl, for Pete’s sake Satori._

“Alright,” The unsettled crease between his brows completely disappeared, as Tendou assured him. “I’ll resume jogging, then.”

 

“Sorry, I must’ve interrupted, right?” Tendou actually wasn’t that sorry about messing up Ushijima’s routine – he got to spend time with him, after all.

 

Something about Ushijima’s stoic, steely gaze softened, as his lips curled up just a few degrees. “You’re never an interruption, Satori.”

 

 _This guy. He has absolutely no idea what he does to me._ Satori was extremely glad that the sunset was a wash of pinkish red today – because or else, Wakatoshi would’ve definitely noticed his furious blushing.

 

But clueless, Wakatoshi went on to jog.

 

* * *

 

“I apologize for the inconvenience. You have your ankle, too.”

 

“What are you talking about? I _love_ playing with Shirabu-chan!” Tendou chortled affably as Ushijima handed over the kitten. The creature acutely glared at him, which was chillingly alike the human Shirabu’s. “You should hurry over to the station. The bus is going soon, right?”

 

“Right. I’ll leave her to you. Call that number if anything happens.” Straightening the collar of his jersey, Wakatoshi took one step backward from Tendou’s doorstep.

 

“Good luck with the match!”

 

“Thank you.”

 

Tendou held Shirabu’s paw and waved it comically at Ushijima, as he rushed towards the elevator. “Well, Shirabu-chan, let’s go in, shall we?” He closed the door and locked it, and put down the kitten on the floor.

 

Ushijima had a match today in Tokyo, and he couldn’t afford to leave Shirabu alone in the house – there were his meals to cover, as well as the unreal size of his house to account for possible threats. In the end, Ushijima waited for Tendou in front of his apartment until his work finished (they still haven’t exchanged numbers), and brought up the dilemma. Tendou was quick to agree, as it was a weekend anyway. The number Ushijima jotted down for him apparently wasn’t his, but a staff member’s, as Ushijima wouldn’t be able to answer in the middle of a game.

 

“We got your food right here, so I’ll get some bowls…” Tendou conversed aloud, as Shirabu lingered near his feet, wrapping her tail around Tendou’s ankle. He sprained it just two days ago, when he accidentally collided with a coworker at the company on the staircase. “Hungry? It’s not even lunch time yet, Shirabu-chan, you’ll get fat.” The tail squeezed around his bone as Shirabu scratched at the redhead’s toenails, her puny face scrunched up, conspicuously offended. Tendou couldn’t help but laugh at the semblance with Kenjirou: _“I’m not fat, Tendou-san.”_

He filled the plastic bowl to the brim with cat food, and placed it on the wood-plated floor for Shirabu to eat whenever she pleased, along with a bowl of water. Tendou turned on the television and paused at the movie channel, that was playing _‘Your Name’_ for the umpteenth time. Tendou had its plot and every scene and line memorized by heart, but that didn’t matter. Shirabu curled around next to him on the couch.

 

At some point, he must’ve fallen asleep, because he woke up with an Avengers movie rolling on screen, with its ending credits. The digital clock read ‘5:36 P.M.’, and Tendou yawned. “Shirabu-chan?” Sleazily calling out for the feline, he ran his fingers through his messed hair. The gel was stuck in funny locks, making him appear as a hobo of sorts. “Shirabu-chan?” He patted down the cushion of the couch where she used to be, but she wasn’t there. _That_ woke him up.

 

He shot up from the furniture and scanned his packed home. His slanted eyes snapped immediately to the barely touched bowls of food and water. _Shit._ A cold, dreadful shock pooled at his stomach, and Tendou dashed to his bedroom – he ignored the throb in his ankle.

 

“Shirabu-chan?” His voice higher and louder, he searched his house in panic. _I can’t believe I fucking just –_ his self-deprecating cussing drowned as he spotted the kitten limp on the bathroom tiles. Tendou couldn’t remember ever running that fast, not since he quit his volleyball career. He cradled the kitten in his arms in total terror, adrenaline and anxiety overwhelming him. _Phone. Call. Shirabu- Eita, oh my god-_

He almost stumbled and hissed as he sprinted back into the living room, and grabbed his stupid phone that was lying nonchalantly on the dining table. He habitually dialed a number, completely erasing the one Ushijima presented to him earlier –

 

_“Hello, this is –“_

“EITA I THINK SHIRABU IS _DEAD_ OH MY GOD –“

 

“ _Shirabu is **what**?” _ A strangled cry of horror rang from the opposite line, _“What the fuck Tendou, Shirabu’s right next to –“_

“THE KITTEN IS DYING EITA, WHAT TO DO –“

 

 _“Tendou.”_ Semi urged, his tone unruffled and steady, _“Calm your shit, you scared the fuck out of me when Kenjirou’s right next to me. I don’t know a single thing about pets, just saying before you seek for assistance.”_ Fright increased at exponential levels in Tendou at that, and then an angry yelp echoed at that side.

 

_“Tendou-san, are you there?”_

“SHIRABU, SHIRABU’S GOING TO DIE, AND IT’S ALL BECAUSE I WAS WATCHING YOUR NAME –“

 

_“Tendou-san, listen to me. The kitten **is** breathing, isn’t it? Please just refer to it as the ‘kitten’ because I’m going to implode if you guys keep doing this.”_

Tendou inhaled, and bent down to check her. She was definitely breathing, just looking _very_ lethargic. Tendou was pretty certain he read an article about ‘death’ and ‘decreasing appetite and not energetic kittens’ somewhere. “She’s breathing.”

 

_“Good. Now take her to the vet, as fast as possible. You entrust these matters with professionals before jumping to conclusions, understood?”_

 

“Okay,” He snatched his wallet and keys from the top of his drawer, forced his swollen, bandaged ankle into his sandals, and ran out. “Okay.” And he hung up, the kitten tucked beneath his arm.

 

 _Fuck, hurry up already,_ he smashed his finger into the buttons for the elevator, but it literally wasn’t moving a single floor down from the 23rd level, and Tendou’s was on 11th. “Jesus Christ.” He muttered through gritted teeth, and didn’t think twice before stampeding down the emergency staircase. The adrenaline rushing through his system nullified the pain in his sprained ankle – the vet was only a few hundred meters or so away, after two crossroads. He could get there in 10 minutes, if he was as speedy as he was in high school. Fuck twenty nine year olds.

 

Everything around him was a fading mush of colors – he faintly pondered on how ridiculous he must look right now – a middle-aged redhead with insane hair in an old T-shirt and sweatpants with sandals and a bandaged ankle, half-tripping and half-running with all his might. But he didn’t give a shit about all that – Shirabu was about to _die,_ and Shirabu wasn’t even his kitten, she was _Wakatoshi’s_. Wakatoshi _trusted_ Tendou to take care of her, and if something happened, like _actually_ happened, then –

 

“ _Excuse me!”_ He exclaimed, bursting the glass doors of the vet open. “You _have to_ check her, like _now.”_ Panting, he carefully handed her over to the veterinarian, who swiftly transported her towards the examination room. Tendou briefly heard the broken phrases, ‘please wait’, ‘few minutes’, ‘soon’.

 

Releasing a shaky breath, he sunk down to the marble floor. He bit down as the delayed shock in his ankle shot up his leg, and groaned. _Right, Wakatoshi-kun._ He was relieved that his laziness didn’t bother to fold it nicely and leave it on the couch or something – he crumpled the note and stuffed it into his sweatpants’ pocket. His fingers still quivering, he pressed the buttons.

 

_“Hello, this is Yamamoto, what can I do for you?”_

“Is,” He had to catch a second to breathe before ongoing, “Is Ushijima Wakatoshi there?”

 

“ _Oh, are you Tendou Satori-san?”_

“Yeah- yes.” He corrected himself – his mind was functioning normally, and his brain felt like it was about to explode into juices or something.

 

 _“Ushijima-san just finished his match, and he should be- wait, he’s there! I’ll pass on the phone real quick, please wait just a moment.”_ Mumbles and short words were traded before Tendou instinctively noticed that the line had switched to his ace.

 

_“Tendou, what’s wrong?”_

“I- Shirabu-chan seemed… ill, so I came to the vet.” His heart rate was finally tuning back, but a fresh sensation of disappointment and depression supplanted the panic. “I’m so sorry, Wakatoshi-kun, I said I’d take care of her, and yet –“

 

_“I’ll be there.”_

Before Tendou could excuse himself, Ushijima cut the conversation. The former stared at his phone for a while, and just let his arm descend to his side. His whole body was aching at this point, and all he did was run (with a sprained ankle).

 

“Sir?” The vet – his nametag read the name ‘Kuroo Tetsurou’. “Shirabu-chan, was she? She’s perfectly healthy – I think you explained that you were temporarily looking after her?” Tendou couldn’t even recall what he said between the lines. “She might’ve been stressed due to the sudden change in environment, but otherwise there’s nothing wrong with her.” Kuroo pursed his lips together, and skimmed Tendou’s condition. “You, Tendou-san, do _not_ look perfectly healthy, though. Perhaps you need a separate checkup?”

 

Relief pervaded through Tendou, as he sighed. “God. I actually thought I messed up, or something.” Then he blinked – “How do you know me?”

 

Kuroo shrugged. “I think everyone knew Shiratorizawa’s regulars at the time. I won’t charge you for this one, because there was nothing wrong with her condition. You should really have someone check your ankle, though – the bandages are undone.”

 

 _Oh. I never noticed._ Tendou frowned at the state of his ankle – it was _purple,_ and purple on skin was never a good thing. He struggled to stand back up, and weakly grunted as he attempted.

 

“Okay, okay, you sit down. I know how to bandage sprains, so I’ll help you, okay?” Relenting, Kuroo went in and returned with ointment and bandages in his hand, and skillfully applied the medicine and wrapped the cloth around the injury. “Do you have someone to assist you back home? I’m assuming you live nearby since you ran here on foot and everything – unless you’re superhuman, then that’s another story.”

 

“I think Wakatoshi-kun is coming, thanks.”

 

“ _The_ Ushijima Wakatoshi? Man, that brings back memories. I was from Nekoma by the way – at the nationals?” Tendou does certainly recall a school with a name like that. “We were defeated by the damned crows – a shame, really.”

 

Tendou shoveled through his disorganized memory, and it finally connected. “You’re the middle blocker! The captain, right? The irritating receives and all!”

 

“Irritating is how you would put it as an opposing team, I suppose.” Kuroo said dryly, “I personally think Ushiwaka was tons more irritating.”

 

“Wow, rude –“

 

The bells hanging on the entrance chimed roughly, as a familiar figure rushed inside, his usually neat appearance disheveled. “Satori.”

 

“Wakatoshi-kun.” Tendou rose and approached Shirabu, as she slept peacefully on the bed. “Sorry, false alarm. She’s perfectly fine, this sneaky rat.”

 

“That’s,” Coughing a little, Ushijima rumbled, “Good to hear.” Then he finally got a clear view of Tendou, who was not having his prettiest day. “Satori, you’re not alright.”

 

 _He’s using my given name._ Something about it re-accelerated his heart rate. “I’m flying, Wakatoshi-kun, silly. I just strained my ankle –“

 

“Can you walk?” Suddenly only inches farther from him, Wakatoshi’s voice was consumed with renewed concern, “Does it hurt?” Again, it would’ve come off as demanding to others. But Tendou could only focus on the wavering olive shades and the quavering of Ushijima’s bottom lip.

 

 _You’re cheating, Wakatoshi._ Tendou smiled lightly, as he wrapped his hands around Ushijima’s trembling, icy cold ones. “I’m fine, Wakatoshi-kun. You can calm down.”

 

The latter didn’t drop his stare until he was completely sure from Tendou’s unmoving one. A low exhale disturbed the tension in the air, as Ushijima calmed. “I’m glad.”

 

“Okay, you two.” Kuroo clapped his hands together with a knowing smirk, “You can continue your lovely bonding outside! Agreed? Agreed! Thank you for your time!”

 

Before they knew it, the pair was pushed outside, the enchanting chimes of the bells followed. Tendou’s face flushed, in realization that Ushijima grabbed his hand so that Tendou wouldn’t trip forward at the impact. Their hands didn’t separate.

 

“Um –“

 

A flood of déjà vu cascaded back as the warmth found his lips. Shirabu was still in Tendou’s arms, and the same olive-green hair was tickling his forehead, the sensation scorching hot in his heart as Ushijima kissed him.

 

As soon as they parted, Tendou screeched,

 

“You _really need_ to stop kissing people out of nowhere, I’m going to misunderstand you!”

 

Ushijima scowled. “I only ever kiss you.”

 

“I- you- _what?”_ This couldn’t be real. Maybe everything wasn’t real. “Come again?”

 

“You’re the only one that can make me kiss you.” The statement was blunt, very Ushiwaka-esque. Tendou wasn’t even sure if he was alive. Maybe he died in a car accident while getting Shirabu to Kuroo. “Why would you misunderstand?”

 

“But- we’re not in a _relationship_ or anything –“

 

“I said I’d come back for you.” Ushijima intervened, “I promised.”

 

“You _did,_ but –“

 

“And I’m finally here, with you.” Satisfaction bloomed from his words, and Tendou felt like he was melting.

 

He whispered, “Do you… You love me?” Then he abruptly stammered, “W-wait, maybe that’s too far- like _interested,_ wait that sounds –“

 

“I’ve always been in love with you.” Confounded, Ushijima boldly responded. “I thought you knew.”

 

“ _I DIDN’T!”_

The other male tilted his head in confusion, and then shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. I still do.” He leaned down into Tendou, and – “I presumed you felt the same way.”

 

Tendou swallowed. If this was what a dream come true felt like, he was pretty sure it was equivalent to those of heaven.

 

“I do – yeah.”

 

A genuine, uncharacteristic yet endearing smile blossomed on Wakatoshi’s face –

 

“I love you.”

 

Somewhere between the lines, they kissed again, skin fervently against skin, as Tendou hugged the kitten as he kissed back, an ‘I love you too’ inserted clumsily in the gaps, the sunset of shimmering in the background.

 

A love of 29, Satori discovered paradise.

 

* * *

 

**EXTRA:**

 

_“I meant it, by the way – that I’d watch all your events. I’ll watch them with such vigor, that the reporters are going to hear about this crazed Ushiwaka fanatic, and that’s when I’ll prove to the world that I’m your best friend! Oh, but don’t deny that in a separate interview or something; I’ll be hurt.”_

_Tendou chirped away, and Ushijima grimaced. Best friend? Was that quite the appropriate term?_

_“I might deny it, once I can fully distinguish the difference.” Difference between friendship and this hotness in his throat, which seemed to have quite the distance from best friends._

_“Come on, I want to be recognized as the best friend of the Strongest Man in Japan!”_

_Does he not feel the same way? Wakatoshi always believed –_

_“Best friends… I guess that works for now.”_

_Tendou wore an expression of satisfaction, yet not. It was challenging to decipher – Satori wasn’t volleyball, after all. He couldn’t spike him through for a point._

_If Ushijima did know something about Tendou, however –_

_“Hey.”_

_He scooted closer and angled his head to the side, fully closing the space between them. Satori’s lips were slightly chapped but hot, and pleasingly sweet. Fire blazed in Ushijima, and it was definitely not the same as how volleyball worked in his system –_

_Ah, he recognized,_

I love Satori.

**Author's Note:**

> Shirabu (the kitten) totally faked her illness to get her dumb owner and his love together. I love Shirabu.


End file.
